NSA targets Indian politics, space & n-programmes

Nation's strategic, commercial interests may have been compromised

The public assertions made by Indian and American officials that no content was taken from India’s internet and telephone networks by U.S.’s National Security Agency (NSA) and that the American surveillance programs just looked at “patterns of communication” as a counter-terrorism measure are far from the truth, if not outright misleading.

According to a top secret document disclosed by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and obtained by The Hindu, the PRISM programme was deployed by the American agency to gather key information from India by tapping directly into the servers of tech giants which provide services such as email, video sharing, voice-over-IPs, online chats, file transfer and social networking services.

And, according to the PRISM document seen by The Hindu, much of the communication targeted by the NSA is unrelated to terrorism, contrary to claims of Indian and American officials.

Instead, much of the surveillance was focused on India’s domestic politics and the country’s strategic and commercial interests.

This is the first time it’s being revealed that PRISM, which facilitates extensive, in-depth surveillance on live communications as well as stored information, was used by the world’s largest surveillance organization to intercept and pick content on at least three issues related to India’s geopolitical and economic interests. They are: Nuclear, Space and Politics.

The top-secret NSA document, which carries the seal of “Special Source Operations”, is called “A Week in the Life of PRISM reporting” and it shows “Sampling of Reporting topics from 2-8 Feb 2013”. Marked with a green slug that reads “589 End product Reports’’, the document carries the brand logos of companies like Gmail, Facebook, MSN, Hotmail, Yahoo!, Google, Apple, Skype, YouTube, paltalk.com and AOL on the top of the page.

“End products” are official reports that are distillations of the best raw intelligence.

In a section titled “India”, the document clearly mentions numerous subjects about which content was picked from various service providers on the worldwide web in just one week early this year.

This document is strong evidence of the fact that NSA surveillance in India was not restricted to tracking of phone calls, text messages and email logs by Boundless Informant, an NSA tool that was deployed quite aggressively against India. “As politics, space and nuclear are mentioned as “end products” in this document, it means that emails, texts and phones of important people related to these fields were constantly monitored and intelligence was taken from them, and then the NSA prepared official reports on the basis of raw intelligence. It means, they are listening in real time to what our political leaders, bureaucrats and scientists are communicating with each other,” an official with an India intelligence agency told The Hindu, speaking strictly on condition of anonymity.

But, top ministers and officials have continued to live in denial.

After it was reported by The Guardian on June 7 that the PRISM program allowed the NSA “to obtain targeted communications without having to request them from the service providers and without having to obtain individual court orders”, both U.S. and Indian officials claimed that no content was being taken from the country’s networks and that the programs were intended to “counter terrorism”.

Kerry’s dissembling

During his visit to New Delhi on June 24 to take part in the India-U.S. Strategic Dialogue, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry denied that the American agency programmes were accessing online content. “It does not look at individual emails. It does not listen to people’s telephone conversation. It is a random survey by computers of anybody’s telephone, of just the numbers and not even the names…It takes those random numbers and looks whether those random numbers are connected to other numbers, that they know, by virtue of other intelligence, linked to terrorists in places where those terrorists operate,” Mr. Kerry had said, stressing that only when an “adequate linkage” is formed, the authorities go to a special court to get permission to obtain further data.

Even Indian officials have been repeating these lines since the NSA activities in India were disclosed. Replying to a question in Rajya Sabha on August 26, Communications and Information Technology Minister Kapil Sibal said the U.S. agencies only “trace origin and destination of the data, but never try to get access to the content, which requires a court approval”. “It would be a matter of concern for government if intrusive data capture has been deployed against Indian citizens or government infrastructure. Government has clearly conveyed these concerns to the U.S. government,” the minister had said, adding that the violation of any Indian law relating to privacy of information of ordinary Indian citizens by surveillance programs was “unacceptable”.

This “unacceptable” line might have been crossed by the NSA millions of times through the PRISM program as, according to the documents disclosed by Mr. Snowden, it is able to reach directly into the servers of the tech companies that are part of the programme and obtain data as well as perform real-time collection on targeted users. “The National Security Agency has obtained direct access to the systems of Google, Facebook, Apple and other U.S. internet giants,” The Guardian had said in its June 7 report, quoting from a 41-slide PowerPoint presentation which was apparently used to train intelligence operatives on the capabilities of the program.

Foreigners are fair game

Tech firms have denied that they allow unfettered access to the NSA. In strongly worded denials of participation in any government surveillance program, they have claimed they allow access to any data to the agency only when required by law.

Here lies the catch. Contrary to denials by tech firms and claims by India’s communication minister that the U.S. agency “requires a court approval” to look into any online content, the NSA used the changes in U.S. surveillance law that allows for the targeting of any customers of participating firms “who live outside the US, or those Americans whose communications include people outside the US”. This law, known as FISA Amendment Act or FAA, was introduced by President George W Bush and renewed under President Barack Obama in December 2012, allows for electronic surveillance on anyone who is “reasonably believed” to be outside the U.S.

No Indian citizen, government department or organisation has any legal protection from NSA surveillance. In a Joint Statement from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the National Security Agency on August 21, 2013, it was stated that “FISA is designed to allow the U.S. Government to acquire foreign intelligence while protecting the civil liberties and privacy of Americans.”

So the NSA had no obstacle — technical or legal — in deploying the PRISM tool against India and Indian citizens. Armed with the FAA and with the active cooperation of the world’s biggest internet brands, the NSA was able to tap specific intelligence from India about the issues which have huge implications for its strategic interests in India. While India’s “nuclear” and “space” programmes have clearly significant commercial value for American firms, the surveillance of “politics” has huge implications for its foreign policy objectives in the region.

“If Americans are listening to our politicians and tapping the phones or reading mails of individuals who handle nuclear and space programmes, they have huge advantage over us in all business and diplomatic negotiations. Even before we go to the table, they know what we are going to put on it. It’s not just violation of our sovereignty, it’s a complete intrusion into our decision-making process,” said a senior official of the Ministry of Home Affairs, who admitted in private that the reports about the scale of NSA surveillance have “rattled” the government.

The NSA document also has names of several Asian, African and Latin American countries from where the American agency picked data about subjects ranging from oil to WTO to government policies, making it clear that the NSA spying was focused on commercial and business areas, and not on its stated objective of national security. “If the American intelligence agencies and business corporations are hunting in pairs, we are bound to lose,” added the Indian official.

More than anything, the targeting of India’s politics and space programme by the NSA busts the myth of close strategic partnership between India and US. The document seen by The Hindu is populated with the countries that are generally seen as adversarial by America. When the PRISM program was disclosed first time in June, a U.S. official had said that information “collected under this program is among the most important and valuable intelligence information we collect, and is used to protect our nation from a wide variety of threats.”

They are watching us and they are turning our people into slavery. Its time to change.

from:
Priti Sharma

Posted on: Sep 25, 2013 at 13:55 IST

@ Janarddan

BJP's current PM aspirants biggest aspiration to get a US visa. Need say anymore. Our future is bleak with both Congress and BJP betraying our nation.

from:
Madhu

Posted on: Sep 25, 2013 at 12:06 IST

one of weakest government I ever seen. our government is not even object what US did. There no clear vision how to address and proetc our secrets. it is a Shame as we are claiming and producing top IT professional all over world.

our Government should follow follow the path of Brazil atleast

from:
Thangaraj

Posted on: Sep 25, 2013 at 01:49 IST

This is obvious ...But India is not so dumb as it is made out to be.
India has a good agency in RAW who knows what to encode and what to protect. If Sibal or Salman talk and the USA knows who cares. Have faith , we are very very good at secrecy. If we decide a priority it gets done, eg 1974,1998 nuke blasts
did Prism help with Syria or Afghanistan or Mali?

from:
arman

Posted on: Sep 25, 2013 at 00:51 IST

What a shame that the Indians do not react to the terrorism from the United States. The US has all sensitive and classified data and information from all and every aspect of Indian defense, military,nuclear and space programs. Every conversation of Manmohanji with Soniaji and rest of the Indian government is knowledge to the US. They know in advance how India or Indians are going to react in different situations domestically and on an international level. India has a disadvantage upfront when dealing with the US. India should learn from China and Brazil and set up it's own servers located within India and under Indian control. Then we can say GOOD RIDDANCE to the US terrorism. Hats off to Snowden and The Hindu.

from:
John Fernandez

Posted on: Sep 25, 2013 at 00:15 IST

There was a remark from an US Secretary of State sometime in 1930 that "Gentlemen do not each other's mail." We have come a long way and we have to accept that snooping is part of the information gathering. Haven't we heard of one Wikileak's cable about the use of Viagra of a ailing Saudi King. It was a vital information because use of sex stimulant at that advanced age might trigger heart attack and who would replace that leader - hence political or power shifts in that region. This intelligence gathering is just one step ahead of others. We have to ask our software engineers (some of them the best in the world and who could have contributed to creating this PRISM software, no doubt) to suggest better firewalls or isolating the servers or some other thing. Internet is one of best technological innovation which has brought books, music, photos, videos, cinemas, debates, educational materials, reference to health issues to the living rooms of poor persons like us.

from:
chandrasekaran

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 16:36 IST

Worse is not this - Just imagine what if US blackmail Indian leadership by threating to pass on details to China?? Chinese are smart and they must have sth to safeguard them. or just out of rage, US passes on choice secrets to China and Pakistan...What will happen then? But then, what to expect from politicians who park their illgotten money to swiss banks and other safe heavens...They can easily sell month India to anyone for easy bucks.

from:
Avinash Baranwal

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 15:42 IST

Everything is on table now, still US is in as-usual denial mode. And our representatives are like pigeon that closes his eyes to shut out the sight of the cat (truth).
FISA is made as per NSA's comfort level. But is there any International law which allows them to snoop in other countries?
Do we Indian have any law to stop snooping/or to protect breach their security (cyber)? It is not different than infiltration on land by terrorist. Welcome to the world of cyber terrorism.

from:
Lavjeet

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 14:04 IST

The Prism Project and Boundless Informant system of the USA has raised many questions starting from Individual privacy to the sovereignty of the countries. Indeed it was shocking to all concerned citizens of India except the ruling class. Despite the comprehensive revelations by The Hindu, no politician has bothered to speak a word, so pathetic..

When the matter comes about the national security, it is evident that most of the governments are dependent on the USâs technologies. It is high time for all governments including India to have its own exclusive cyberspace like defense, banking, and education etc.

from:
Sayed

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 14:00 IST

Time for our politicians to take their heads out of sand. How easy it is for US to negotiate deals with Indian delegation, knowing all the communications, both electronic and telephonic, each individual had done in the past god knows how many days!? Some may even be blackmailed with at least embarrassing communications, if not incriminating?? Is this the handicap a bigger and more powerful nation imposes on a relatively weaker nation??

from:
Sandy

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 12:59 IST

This is what we strive for? Indian suffers with worse socio economic dilemmas on daily basis. We remained quiet because of the Government assurances to work for safer and secure India. But the truth is now open to everyone. This surveillance means that India is so much vulnerable for its states matter despite of giving personal security to its nationals. Always narrowly focused on the neighborhood, India must remember that US surveillance claimed openly of its inaccessibility to Pakistan nuclear weapon program. We let ourselves open in front of a big power to explore our space, politics and territory. Our leaders bowed in front of Big America as they are taking it a casual common things or it seemed from their calm responses that they know this before already that our country is been monitored. Than why to cut the foods and spend on military advancements when we have such blotted security.

from:
monika

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 12:54 IST

Its not only fault of government.If we understand what risk going on for us,our people and also for our country.why not take action anybody give the pressure to government for take decision about our security and freedom.I Read the gentleman's thought and want to ask what they do for this and also it's not your country.Making a gentle comment good but its not enough for our country do something for our country and our freedom. We need to think about this how to resolve this problem, we need to think & resolve not only worry about the issues.

from:
Ashok Kumar Chaudhary

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 12:52 IST

In the name of war against terror and keeping Americans safe from enemies (that they created themselves by invasion, black ops), US govt is exploiting commercial interest, sovereignty, privacy laws of all the countries they are snooping on. Indian Politicians are in denial mode since they aren't loosing anything except respect and credibility which they consider a two bit commodity. Its citizens of the country that are loosing and their long and short term interest being compromised.

from:
Santosh

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 12:40 IST

The espionage and snooping of all pervasive Telephone and internet networks of all almost majority of Indian citizens by NSA, is more than that meets the eye and is only tip of the iceberg. As far as I could authentically vouch for, was the toppling of the Indian government in 1997 by a foreign power with the connivance of local politicians. I know for sure this NSA snooping is a cultural espionage where the individual's privacy is totally compromised. This type of activity is nothing new to UNCLE SAM and speaks about the embodiment of their double standards in every conceivable sphere of activity. Kudos to Shobhan saxena for this scoop, which I expected to come right after snowden's revelations.Even this mail which I am writing to the editor is spied up on I know it well, as I am privy to a directional information on this espionage. I am a retired professional and live in Chennai.

from:
N.subramanian

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 12:32 IST

Recently I read in Hindu that Chinese hackers accessed a lot of file from Indian govt servers which were clearly titled as TOP SECRET. Now USA is doing same.
Indian (Congress) government doesnât have any concern about Indiaâs future. I still recollect the good governance from Hon. Vajpayee govt. We had nuclear blast first and then world got to know about this including USA.

from:
Ganesh Salunke

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 12:25 IST

The two main political parties Congress & BJP and its leaders are bending over backwards to please America. BJP govt wrote to Clinton to "explain" the need for nukes. BJP's defence minister was strip searched like a suspect in US airports. BJP wanted to send Indian troops to Iraq so that it could win some construction contracts for its bankrollers. Congress govt is offering no-liabilities-on-disaster facility to US nuclear monopolies. Congress offered no asylum to Snowden despite knowing that India is a victim of US's fraud that was exposed by Snowden. Now this. India needs patriots who see values above money and business. One can never build a nation based on greed, deception or subservience. India needs to social revolution that will bury the current elites and bring a people's movement to power.

from:
Janarddan

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 12:20 IST

US Government has become a bigger threat to India than terrorism.

from:
Yagna

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 12:07 IST

Show your diplomatic best and draft the law barring these things. The nature of the problem requires en roping relevant World Bodies as well. We don't need to be obsessed with America's futile attempt to ensure its supremacy in future. Little caution while transferring important files through Internet, till the international law barring these things come-up, is required.
India particularly has an opportunity here! In the World, Indian IT companies are placed well to give alternative to America's IT giants!!

from:
Shaurya

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 12:07 IST

The Indian government is helpless not shameless. The US government is shameless not helpless.
If every country were to do what the Brazilian government did then perhaps the US government will at least listen, debate their draconian laws internally at least and amend where they must - if they expect to lead the rest of the world.

from:
r n iyengar

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 12:02 IST

Shame on the government! So How does congress want to react for it now! They need a big breaking news to side track this now :( . In such a big country with huge diversity, never some news can stay long and alive on the first page of news papers! Need a real politician to question US NOWWWW!!

from:
Uday

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 11:49 IST

Please The Hindu you are doing it again. You are either oblivious of world of spy system and intelligence or being overtly superficial. All intelligence centric nations spy on each other. First accept this fact and then continue the discussion. Are you saying China or Russia are not spying on us? Is only USA doing survelliance or our systems? Come on. Be real. China and ISI must be blackmailing our politicians by their spy system.

from:
harsh vs

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 11:48 IST

Has anyone heard a whimper out of the Government on a matter of such national importance!!? That is what is more surprising and distressing than someone's interest in snooping! It seems 'the light is on but no one in there'!! The subservience of such a degree!!?

from:
Saratchandran

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 11:43 IST

We have no belief in ourselves! Do believe foreign technology knowhow and terms. God also must have left us.

from:
D Chavali

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 11:43 IST

I wonder even now when everything is in public domain, our prime minister would gather courage to cancel his forthcoming trip to USA like Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff. As The Hindu rightly suggested in one of its editorial, least our PM could do to show at least his anguish on the matter.

from:
Vineet Dwivedi

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 11:35 IST

Absolutely shameful that our Politicians&Officials who profess their loyalty to India allow this happen without a murmur while telling us all gullible poor fellow citizens that they are going to uplift the country`s GDP,reduce poverty,support Indian industry etc etc.. if this is really the case then what is the point in competing globally when simple protection of ordinary secrets are not even possible for this future super power(that is what is we are all deluded into believing all the time,to relieve us from all stress about actual mess all around..!!)

from:
siva

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 11:18 IST

All that remains now is for the shameless Indian government to keep lying to its own people and keep defending the American government.

from:
Sachi Mohanty

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 11:09 IST

It's outrageous that the Government of India should try to play down
this serious issue and appear to remain in denial. Were elements in the government party complicit to the snooping? If so, was the support official?
No patriotic citizen can quietly accept that foreign nations can have unfettered access to the nations top classified communications.
Mr. PM, the nations is looking up to you. For once, please get the ball rolling and act in the interest of the country!

from:
Rohit PS

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 10:40 IST

We hope again our Minister of external affairs does not say "This is not called snooping".

from:
dalchand agrawal

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 10:29 IST

India has long been under surveillance of USA During Nehru's regime US govt used Indian soil along Himalayan border to keep surveillance over China through RAW and Indian govt was not unaware of this. With the development of IT, surveillance activity has been very easy and can be conducted from far-off. What is painful is the servile behaviour of the Indian govt. After the revelation by Snowden (at the risk of his life)about illegal surveillance over other countries by NSA (of USA)many countries including China lodged strong protest whereas the spineless spokesperson of Indian govt almost supported US govt's action. Is India really sovereign?

from:
dipendutta

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 10:27 IST

really it is biggest threat to the sovereignty of the any independent country and this issue must raised before the upcoming UN conference as not only India but other countries like Brazil is being spied by NSA.

from:
KIRAN LALE

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 10:19 IST

Let Indian politiicans learn from Brazil. See how the iron lady of Brazil stood for her country. See the value she gives for the safety, security and pride of her country. Go to Brazil, drink the water of Amazon and learn the meaning of patriotism.

from:
S.Subramanian

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 10:09 IST

If the Govt in this country cannot protect & safeguard the country & its data/info, how is it going to protect the people ??
When you know that you have been hacked right royal from your heart, by the so called NSA, what steps have been taken to guard yourself & your entity from further plundering !! This seems to be the largest let down on the part of the protectors of this country to its citizens & their safety & protection & well-being.
Who is going to take the blame or who is going to be blamed for this fiasco !! Why is no one in this country, the opposition, the bureaucrats, the captains of industries, the economists, historians, scholars, media, Public, Students, and so on, able to understand the impact of this debacle of having been plundered of all our data/info, whatever it may pertain to !! Who should be tainted as the traitor here ??

from:
venkatesh b

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 10:07 IST

It is still ok to be spineless. But having a country with so many IT pros, at least we should have our servers protected from such intrusions.

from:
Saint Merchant

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 10:02 IST

Did our thorium plutonium cycle for energy needs fall victim to our pliability as a nation to serve US interests first than our own or due to this unabashed and unapologetic third degree methods adopted by the US national intellegence agency of prying into the domestic affairs of another country?

And since when did we start believing that US does says what it does and does what it says? They do what they have to do to remain on top of the world and we should be doing that as well - but without treading on our cherished values and offending other nations. That in essence is and should remain the only difference if at all between the oldest and largest democracies of the world.

from:
r n iyengar

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 09:57 IST

The revelations made by 'The Hindu' about US spying in India are significant, yet they have have hardly caused a stir in Government circles. When similar revelations were made about Brazil recently, the Brazilian President snubbed President Obama by cancelling her trip to the US. Does Manmohan Singh have the guts to do the same? Not only will the PM of this weak-kneed UPA Government go to the US, he will also sheepishly sign his assent to dilution of major clauses in the Nuclear Liability Bill and the phasing out of refrigerant gases under the Montreal protocol. The interests and self-respect of our country stand seriously compromised.

from:
Kishore

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 09:57 IST

Snooping is US act of breaching into India's "digital sovereignity". Indian government should take steps to ensure the snooped data is destroyed while putting a strong internal preparedness to stop such acts in fture

from:
Rupesh Raj

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 09:45 IST

So what our Government is going to do about this ?

from:
Arun

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 09:44 IST

NSA 's reach and the PRISM program as detailed in the article has to worry all countries. It is not clear how nations can deal with such activities of the NSA except in some collective way or thru employing some new technology. It is only fair that that each nation would want to protect its interests and not have its friends or enemies compromise its interests by snooping of the kind detailed under the PRISM program.

from:
Hoshiar Singh

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 09:41 IST

Best time to go for Old Legacy, use hardcopies..

from:
yatish

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 09:35 IST

Quite seriously, how is Salman Khurshid still in office after his public falsehoods on the issue of NSA spying? While an overwhelming majority of American citizens, and even much of the normally openly pro-Obama US media was out condemning these actions, an Indian minister tried being more loyal than the king. This was disgraceful to say the least, and condemnable.

from:
Mehul Kamdar

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 09:34 IST

Atleast now the Government of India should seriously think about banning these internet sites in India like what China is doing.Our IT companies have the capability to fill the void if at all created by banning these sites in India. after all these IT giants are running with the support of Indian IT companies and/or Software engineers from India.

from:
Balamurugan Solaiyan

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 09:31 IST

as though the Indian government were not aware of all these snooping happening for decades now ever since the Cold war started. Nothing new in here.

from:
Mark Logan

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 09:15 IST

Such a behavior on part of Uncle Sam comes to India's notice a little late. For if we look in history Internet which borne out of Apranet ( DRPA : Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency ) has been working on such concepts for very long in their National Interest especially those of Commercial Nature, for 1% and their Corporations have played a very important role in bringing politicians to power, so that their Interest are protected. Also it is very interesting to note the birth of Computer took place in USA during world war, when Nazi's communications very to be deciphered. Failure of Indian Engineering community of not being able to conceptualize Computer which did not run on 1010, but say instead Sanskrit, or other language, is something that will Dominate and hurt further as Information Age started from Digital Paradigm continues.

from:
Ankit S

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 09:03 IST

Why should the NSA not be declared by India and other members of the UN as a rogue organisation till the government of United States brings in an amendment to their law in conformity with the civility and democracy they expect for the rest of the world to follow?
US government has no right nor moral standing among the comity of nations now that it is established beyond doubt that they are and have been acting like buccaneers and erstwhile cowboys of the wild west where anything was fair game and justice and equity was not for those origninal "Indian natives of America" who were looking at the business end of the smoking gun!
Countries of the world must wake up and put "hegemony by military-technology might of the US" in check by calling for world-wide embargo in trading relations with US lest the rest of the world ends up like the original natives of America - in worldwide reserve camps while the military cowboys of the US are given protected, wild, free run to go bounty hunting.

from:
r n iyengar

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 08:55 IST

"Nation's strategic, commercial interests may have been compromised"

This article confirmed what every indian already has in their heads. It is obvious that Indians are not really a threat to USA, they were snooping us to gather strategic info and Billions of data collected only suggests the extent of snooping.
It is important to note that Data collection techniques are always Specific, Particular and Targetted. NSA might be targetting Specific ministries and institutions including PMO and they has already collected trillions of strategic data. Our Govt. spokesmen has not only underplayed the issue but also misleaded the entire nation. Our politicians deliberate on everything. When they has debated and understood the issue, why not make atleast a sensible statement in parliament.
Kapil Sibal indirectly stated that NSA was not snooping PM MM Singh. Our PM was not on their surveillance. But they were only collecting the meta data(Blns) of calls, emails.. of our PM. What a shame

from:
Mysura

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 08:44 IST

Really unbelievable how the rest of the media is not covering this issue.

from:
Ferzand

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 08:41 IST

so isnt there anything indian tech giants or intelligence can do about it ..!!

from:
vishal

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 07:53 IST

Why are our leaders not taking this issue seriously?We Indians are bound to lose in all segments if this data leakage continues...

from:
Ramesh

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 07:15 IST

I am disheartened to hear this. It is a blow on the respect that I had for the US, the corporate governance, business integrity that they preach. Perhaps, they only preach and not practice.

If this turns out to be true (which they will deny of course), I really feel cheated as a global citizen, as an Indian citizen and also a user of the internet software applications.

from:
Hariharan Sambasivam

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 05:11 IST

Some new material, but still not entirely new. A piece of the PRISM slide mentioned was published by O Globo some time ago. A few of the remaining slides are on the Guardian's website.
That PRISM is being used is both good news and bad news. Good news, PRISM is avoidable by avoiding the nine companies mentioned. The bad news, it's not the only game in town. And just to drive home a point, PRISM is not just metadata, it is content.

from:
paul

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 04:55 IST

Isn't it naive to NOT expect an intelligence organization to do just what NSA is doing? The shock of Mr. Snowden's disclosures lies, in my view, in the realisation of just how much information we're putting online rather than the fact that someone out there is tapping into it. I think the solution lies in (1) using services based in India rather than elsewhere (for example, start using Rediff instead of gmail, yahoo, etc., or buy computers made in India equipped with an OS like BOSS Linux instead of Apple), and (2) introducing the equivalents of "open source" philosophy in broader national policy to make surveillance far more expensive to maintain than the rewards that it yields.

from:
Aditya

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 04:53 IST

Right from the time of Theodore Roosevelt spying into other countries has been the trade mark of the CIA and other US intelligence agencies.
If our erudite politicians, like Kapil Siba, who is a lawyer too, can see no evil, they alone will be responsible for the consequences of allowing such infringement into our sovereignty.

from:
subbanarasu Divakaran

Posted on: Sep 24, 2013 at 02:29 IST

It is proved again that We, the Indian people are satellite state of USA, who does not have any basic protection against any non-sense like NSA spying.. Our Indian politicians are in the slavery mind and still working as a agent of West.. This clearly tells that we never achieved the real freedom.. Its a long way to go..